Meet Sam, Upper School

How long have you attended Haverford?

All my life - my mom was working here as the Assistant Head of Lower School when she got pregnant with me. She moved to work at Agnes Irwin when I was in first grade, so we looked at other schools, but I asked if I could stay at Haverford. The teachers here understand how to engage us in groups or through hands-on activities; we don't sit at our desks and listen to lectures.

Can you recount a memorable teacher?

Mr. Palmer, Lower School science. Every day his class was so different, and his entire classroom - with the planetarium, and all the gadgets, and other things I'd never even heard of - was so interesting. It's the coolest thing when you're a little kid! I also appreciated the way he taught us. Most teachers teach you how to do something before you do it. Mr. Palmer would have us do something first, then tell us what we'd just discovered.

What makes you proud or happy?

My family. My mom comes from a military family, and she moved around a lot when she was growing up. Now she's Head of Lower School at Agnes Irwin. My dad worked hard and built his own company. Now he's commissioner for Ward 4 in Lower Merion Township. My older sister graduated from Agnes Irwin and now she's studying at Penn. I feel so proud of all their stories and their paths. I think everyone has made decisions and sacrifices to get me here, and that impacts me on a daily basis, in terms of what decisions I make.

What do you think is the best thing about being a Ford?

The community. I still keep in touch with my teachers and coaches from Middle School and Lower School - they ask me how it's going and what I'm up to. It's beyond the classroom; the teachers really care about you as a person. That's not something you see or experience at every school.